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Best atlantic mackerel lakes in Maine

99 Maine waters list atlantic mackerel (official records or labelled estimates), 99 mapped with survey or official-chart depth data. Ranked below by size and depth-data quality, leading with the waters in our reviewed search catalog — open any water to see exactly where to fish it: depth contours, scored spots with plain-English reasons, seasonal windows and bait picks. A fast, schooling pelagic fish that moves along the Northeast coast with cool water and dense concentrations of small bait and plankton.

1. Eggemoggin Reach — 169 ft max · real survey depth contours · Striped Bass, Winter Flounder, Bluefish, Atlantic HerringWhy #1: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
2. Blue Hill Bay — 338 ft max · real survey depth contours · Striped Bass, Winter Flounder, Bluefish, Atlantic HerringWhy #2: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
3. Sheepscot Bay — 251 ft max · real survey depth contours · Striped Bass, Winter Flounder, Bluefish, Atlantic HerringWhy #3: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
4. Saco Bay — 282 ft max · real survey depth contours · Striped Bass, Winter Flounder, Bluefish, Atlantic HerringWhy #4: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
5. Broad Sound — 244 ft max · real survey depth contours · Striped Bass, Winter Flounder, Bluefish, Atlantic HerringWhy #5: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
6. Frenchman Bay — 309 ft max · real survey depth contours · Striped Bass, Winter Flounder, Bluefish, Atlantic HerringWhy #6: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
7. Jericho Bay — 127 ft max · real survey depth contours · Striped Bass, Winter Flounder, Bluefish, Atlantic HerringWhy #7: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
8. Saint George River — 66 ft max · real survey depth contours · Striped Bass, Brown Trout, Brook Trout, Winter FlounderWhy #8: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
9. Muscle Ridge Channel — 184 ft max · real survey depth contours · Striped Bass, Winter Flounder, Bluefish, Atlantic HerringWhy #9: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
10. Cobscook Bay — 149 ft max · real survey depth contours · Striped Bass, Winter Flounder, Bluefish, Atlantic HerringWhy #10: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
11. Luckse Sound — 132 ft max · real survey depth contours · Striped Bass, Winter Flounder, Bluefish, Atlantic HerringWhy #11: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 4 public access sites
12. Eastern Passage — 338 ft max · real survey depth contours · Striped Bass, Winter Flounder, Bluefish, Atlantic HerringWhy #12: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
13. Booth Bay — 173 ft max · real survey depth contours · Striped Bass, Winter Flounder, Bluefish, Atlantic HerringWhy #13: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
14. Hurricane Sound — 195 ft max · real survey depth contours · Striped Bass, Winter Flounder, Bluefish, Atlantic HerringWhy #14: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
15. Portsmouth Harbor — 84 ft max · real survey depth contours · Striped Bass, Winter Flounder, Bluefish, Atlantic HerringWhy #15: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 5 public access sites
16. East Bay — 45 ft max · real survey depth contours · Striped Bass, Winter Flounder, Bluefish, Atlantic HerringWhy #16: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
17. Eastern Bay — 121 ft max · real survey depth contours · Striped Bass, Winter Flounder, Bluefish, Atlantic HerringWhy #17: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
18. Fore River — 67 ft max · real survey depth contours · Striped Bass, Winter Flounder, Bluefish, Atlantic HerringWhy #18: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
19. Blue Hill Harbor — 78 ft max · real survey depth contours · Striped Bass, Winter Flounder, Bluefish, Atlantic HerringWhy #19: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
20. Toothacher Bay — 106 ft max · real survey depth contours · Striped Bass, Winter Flounder, Bluefish, Atlantic HerringWhy #20: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
21. Hussey Sound — 122 ft max · real survey depth contours · Striped Bass, Winter Flounder, Bluefish, Atlantic HerringWhy #21: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
22. Casco Passage — 90 ft max · real survey depth contours · Striped Bass, Winter Flounder, Bluefish, Atlantic HerringWhy #22: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
23. Stave Island Harbor — 89 ft max · real survey depth contours · Striped Bass, Winter Flounder, Bluefish, Atlantic HerringWhy #23: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
24. Robinhood Cove — 55 ft max · real survey depth contours · Striped Bass, Winter Flounder, Bluefish, Atlantic HerringWhy #24: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 4 public access sites
25. Johnson Bay — 52 ft max · real survey depth contours · Striped Bass, Winter Flounder, Bluefish, Atlantic HerringWhy #25: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site

…plus 74 more Maine waters holding atlantic mackerel.

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When to fish atlantic mackerel in Maine

• Spring 5–45 ft — Search inlet approaches, current seams and outer points for tight schools; keep a small jig or feather rig above the marks rather than dragging bottom.
• Summer 15–80 ft — In the Gulf of Maine, use sonar over deeper bay approaches and current lines; farther south, many schools have already moved north or offshore.
• Fall 10–65 ft — Cooling water starts the return migration; check harbor mouths and outer channel edges, then follow the school rather than anchoring on yesterday's location.
• Winter 30–120 ft — Most Northeast bay fish are offshore or well south; do not treat a summer harbor location as a dependable winter fishery.

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